weekend event planner

Here are the top 16 things to do in Houston this weekend

Easter weekend means that many Houstonians will enjoy a day off on Good Friday, regardless of their personal beliefs. Easter Sunday means church services and brunch for many (read our picks here).

Beyond the holiday, this weekend is loaded with all sort of possibilities. A pop music icon is performing at the Toyota Center – twice. A new bar is shaking up Garden Oaks, and a new restaurant is giving away breakfast tacos. Or share some ice cream with a Houston hip hop legend.

Here are this weekend’s best bets.

Thursday, March 28

Latina Leadership Podcast presents Latinas in Education Lunch and Learn
The number of Latinas in higher education continues to grow, yet Latinas still face numerous cultural, economic, and sociological challenges to make it to graduation or certification completion. The inaugural Latinas in Education event will bring together Houston Latinas to address this important social issue as a community. The Latina Leadership Podcast seeks to discuss diverse education experiences through this free community event that will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities for all in attendance. 10 am.

Project Row Houses 30 Year Anniversary Celebration
Project Row Houses (PRH) will host a spectacular three-part celebration to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The event will honor PRH's commitment to elevating the art, creativity, and commerce of Third Ward and showcase the work of a roster of artists with deep ties to the organization. This event will move across the PRH site to highlight the neighborhood and ground the gathering in the principles of collective creative action to raise funds to support PRH's ongoing work and programs. 5 pm.

Madonna in concert
Taylor Swift may have the most successful tour of all time with her Eras Tour, but you know who else has had a lot of eras? Why, it’s the Material Girl. From her days as a young dance-music diva to her ‘80s pop reign to all the taboo stuff she did back in the ‘90s to her 21st-century EDM renaissance, Madonna has been through it all. And even though ol’ girl is in her mid-60s, she’s still out here in these live-music streets (she’s doing two nights here in H-Town!), being as provocative and immaculate as she wanna be. 8:30 pm.

Friday, March 29

Madonna/Facebook

Madonna performs at Toyota Center on Thursday and Friday.

High Five Mini Bar Grand Opening
High Five Mini Bar, a brand new concept by Will Ebarb and Chris Cusack, is celebrating its grand opening at the Stomping Grounds. The celebration will feature expertly-made and classic craft cocktails via a walk-up bar with bright, mid-century/modern design elements. The outdoor communal space will set the scene for a chill, laid-back vibe that the bar is aiming to cultivate in the Garden Oaks cultural oasis. Guests will also enjoy live music by celebrated local band Swimwear Department, who will take the stage at 8 pm. 4 pm.

The Plant Project & Provisions presents Rustic Roots Rodeo
Entrepreneur Bree Clarke will celebrate the opening of her new plant store in the Heights (1102 W 19th St.) with two days of events. On Friday, the activities include a succulent bar, the ability to create a bolo or bandana, and cigar and whiskey pairings. Saturday includes a kids bloom station and a hat bar for adults. 5 pm (Noon on Saturday)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Amelie
In one of the most beloved and acclaimed romantic comedies ever made (which is now hitting theaters in a new 4K digital restoration), Audrey Tautou plays a naive Montmartre waitress who performs random acts of kindness for others, but privately leads a lonely, melancholic life bereft of love. This 2001 Oscar nominee—an imaginative, whimsical masterpiece from the director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, City of Lost Children) – is set to a distinctive soundtrack by Yann Tiersen. 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Beyonce Cowboy Carter Listening Party at The Rink: Rolling at Discovery Green
Grab your friends and head to Discovery Green’s outdoor roller-skating rink for a listening party for Cowboy Carter, Beyonce’s latest album. Come dressed ready to celebrate your favorite Beyonce album era. DJ Monstaa will be playing the album in its entirety, as well as some of her odes to Houston and other hits throughout the years. Plus, learn more about the UHD Thursday Night Concert series at Discovery Green, which kicks off in May and features Texas and Houston artists of all genres. 8 pm.

Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge presents Marshall Falcon
Mexico-born, Texas-raised, West Coast-forged Marshall Falcon has been described as equal parts Tex-Mex border rock and country/punk/soul with a few twists to keep you on your musical toes. Falcon and his trusty Houston band The Texas Muthatruckas are currently in the middle of their 10-month U.S. Barnstormer Revival Tour and are excited to be back at the Big Top Lounge. Marshall and the Muthatruckas will be performing both of Falcon’s full-length albums in their entirety, front to back. 9 pm.

Saturday, March 30

Little Rey presents Breakfast Taco Pop-up
The newest restaurant from the minds behind State of Grace and Superica, this Northern Mexico-inspired fast casual concept will introduce itself with a free breakfast taco giveaway. Held just outside the restaurant (2345 Mid Ln), chef-owner Ford Fry and his crew will dole out tacos while supplies last, so get there early. 10 am

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown presents Wonka Easter Event
It’s Easter at Rooftop Cinema Club. Kick off your chocolate-filled holiday weekend with a very special screening of Wonka. Indulge in the origin story of the fabled candy maker (Timothee Chalamet) with this toe-tapping musical sensation. Before the screening, there’s an egg-cellent egg hunt that’s perfect for the whole family. Will you find an Easter egg filled with candy? Or maybe one with a toy or cute stuffed critter? Or perhaps you’ll be one of the lucky ones who find a coveted golden egg with an extra special surprise. 11:30 am.

Eat & Greet with Lil’ Keke
Houston rap legend Lil’ Keke will be releasing his new album Can’t Rain Forever this weekend. You can celebrate along with him by hanging with dude at a very exciting eat-and-greet. He’ll be debuting his new peach cobbler ice cream flavor over at Howdy Homemade Ice Cream. Also, don’t miss the chance to try his exclusive LGND Sundae. He may also have some new Rain merch for sale. It’s the official release you won’t want to miss! 2 pm.

Rush Concerts presents The Thorn
Who’s ready for a certain-to-be-spectacular, arena-filling retelling of The Holy Bible? The Thorn tells the epic story of God’s love for the world and the spiritual battle for all humanity. Often described as "cirque meets the passion of Jesus," The Thorn is an immersive show featuring live music, drama, aerial acts, movement arts, modern dance, and big visual effects. 8 pm (1 pm Sunday).

Houston Symphony presents "Romeo and Juliet + Dvořák’s Cello Concerto"
The most famous love story ever written is told through the universal language of music in Prokofiev’s impassioned and romantic Romeo and Juliet. Dorothy Chang’s Northern Star points the way to a world of evocative soundscapes and kaleidoscopic color. And principal cellist Brinton Averil Smith performs one of classical music’s most popular cello concertos - Dvořák poured his soul into it, and it includes some of his most heart-achingly beautiful music. The concert will be conducted by Xian Zhang. 8 pm.

Sunday, March 31

UNICEF USA presents Heart Strings: Creating Connection to the World’s Children
UNICEF USA will host an exhibit that will serve as an opportunity for guests to travel around the world and learn about UNICEF’s efforts to ensure every child is healthy, educated, protected, and respected. Each element of the experience will be interactive, allowing guests to create a global, ever-evolving song and use their voices to have a lasting impact on the lives of children. The ticketed experience will offer the exclusive opportunity to meet youth who are using their voices to influence key issues facing children today. Through Sunday, April 7. 11 am.

Alley Theatre presents The World is Not Silent
Alley Theatre presents the world premiere of The World is Not Silent, a moving story that explores the relationship between a son, Don, and his estranged father as they try to reconnect in the wake of his father’s recent hearing loss. Don learns that the key to communication and connection is speaking from the heart as the play explores how language at the same time divides and unites us. This play was part of Alley All New Festival in 2022. Through Sunday, April 14. 2:30 and 7:30 pm.

Main Street Theater presents Stagolee and the Funeral of a Dangerous World
In a small town in East Texas, the local NAACP office is planning a funeral for the “N word.” A close-minded white man is on his way to the office to have a frank discussion with the legendary Stagolee, a black man known for his father’s legendary status and swagger. This will be a world premiere production of nationally recognized Houston playwright Thomas Meloncon’s newest work. Through Sunday, April 21. 3:30 pm.

openings event-planner

Movie Review

28 Years Later revives zombie franchise for new generation

Photo by Miya Mizuno

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later.

The 2000s brought two of the best zombie movies ever made in 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Both films, despite being made by different filmmakers, featured intense action with fast-moving zombies, harrowing sequences, and real emotional connections with their main characters. Now the original director and writer — Danny Boyle and Alex Garland — have returned with the first of a possible three sequels, 28 Years Later.

The rage virus from the first two films that turns humans into insatiable monsters has successfully been contained to the United Kingdom, and one group of survivors has managed to band together on a small island off the coast of England. We’re introduced to the group through Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), and his son, Spike (Alfie Williams).

Isla is sick with an unknown illness, while Jamie is set to take the 12-year-old Spike on his first trip to the mainland to hunt zombies. That trip not only gives Spike an education as to the different types of feral zombies that now populate England, but also a clue that other people have survived there. When he discovers that one of them may be a doctor, he makes plans to take his mother there in hopes of finding a cure for whatever ails her.

While the first two films were notable for their brisk pace that kept the potency of the stories high, Boyle and Garland almost go in the opposite direction for much of this film. The first 90 minutes are relatively slow, with only a couple of sequences that raise the blood pressure. The final half hour or so go a long way toward filling that void, so it’s clear that the filmmakers were biding their time for the story to come in the sequel. A bit more balance in this film would have served them well, though.

What they do show involves some weird, wild stuff that is objectively upsetting, even for fans of the genre. The zombies have evolved in strange ways, giving them a variety of body shapes and abilities to suit the environment in which they live. These storytelling choices may thrill some and have others scratching their heads. Another human character living on his own (played by Ralph Fiennes), appears to have gone the way of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, with a revelation that is bone-chilling.

Boyle, who’s directed everything from Trainspotting to Slumdog Millionaire, doesn’t have a signature style, and he makes some choices in this film that test your patience. He occasionally employs an odd technique in which the film stutters, for a lack of better term. It’s a bit jarring, especially since it doesn’t seem to improve the storytelling. He also inserts scenes from older films involving medieval warfare that emulate the bow-and-arrow weaponry used by characters in this film, but the exact connection he’s trying to make is unclear.

The young Williams has a lot put on his shoulders in the film, and he proves to be up to the task of carrying the story. He isn’t precocious or annoying, instead reacting almost exactly like you’d expect a boy of his age to do when faced with extreme situations. Taylor-Johnson and Comer are good complements for him, drawing him out with their polar opposite characters. Fiennes makes a huge impression in the final act of the film, while Jack O’Connell makes a very brief appearance, teasing a bigger role to come.

It’s difficult to fully judge 28 Years Later because it’s designed to only give you part of the story; part 2, The Bone Temple, is due in 2026, while a third film will follow if the first two do well. This film has its moments and winds up on the positive side of the ledger, but it’s also a frustrating experience that could have used a more stand-alone story.

---

28 Years Later is now playing in theaters.

movies film